Love is Love.

Today London celebrates Gay Pride and it will mark this day with its annual Pride Parade, whilst also honoring those members of the LGBT community who were shot dead at the Orlando nightclub earlier this month. After the results of the EU Referendum and the obvious divide in the UK I hope we all stand together in this celebration and can overcome our differences to unite and support our own people who are brave enough to be themselves whilst showing our respect for those who have died because of who they are.

I remember hearing the news of the shooting last week and I was shocked, horrified, even sickened. Simply, I just cannot understand why someone would commit such a horrible act?

Was it homophobia? An act of terrorism? Or, as some suggest, the manic act of someone who couldn't come to terms with his own sexuality? We can ponder the reasons as much as we want but the fact still remains; 49 innocent people died that night.

There were 300 people in that club; 49 people killed, 53 people injured and absolutely everyone fearing for their lives. Not only that but people outside of the club lost their loved ones, their family members, their friends that night. It's too easy to think about these people as victims and forget that the attack has a ripple-effect, like a pebble being dropped in water the ripples extend beyond the incident or the main people involved. And as for the victims I am sure this will haunt them for the rest of their lives.

And for what? They were living their lives. Having a fun night in a club with their friends, doing what any straight person their age would be doing. But they were targeted because of their sexuality? It's a horrible thought. It's sick. These people who play God are the sick ones for thinking they can chose who lives and who dies and base it on something like sexuality, not the man who loves another man nor the woman who loves another woman. Love is Love. It's pure, you can't chose who you love and it doesn't effect anyone else; but what that gunman exhibited at the club that night was hatred, and it is the most disgusting emotion a human can feel.

In the 21st century with homosexuality becoming more and more accepted it's clear that there is still room for improvement. Why is there still such prejudice and hatred towards people who cannot help who they are? Not only that but it's scary that even in this day and age people live in fear, which is only made worse due to the American's right to arms. This has been branded the worst mass shooting in America, what does that tell you? Not only that the shooter had been previously questioned by the FBI yet he still managed to get a hold of an automatic gun?! But Trump continues to argue and claims that guns are the way forward and the best way to combat terrorism... It's just utter craziness! It should never have came down to this but the shooting has brought to light the fact that there needs to be a change in attitude - both towards the LGBT community and towards gun control. And most definitely more education for our future generations in equality and love and open-mindedness.

Despite the uproar in the UK I am glad to live here and not somewhere in America where guns are so common and thought of as a right. I know Brits aren't perfect and certainly there are some of us who are homophobic but we are moving forward all the time and at least guns aren't so accessible to any Tom, Dick and Harry. I can only hope that we learn from this tragedy and we all unite together to promote love, peace, equality and respect for one another simply as human beings. To be quite honest these four things should come to us all naturally anyway.